The Guiding Questions: Day 2

I’m one of those people whose idea of a great evening is sitting around a bonfire pondering big open-ended questions. It therefore seems fitting to start this blog off with a two.

If you had the opportunity to talk to anyone in the world, whom would you choose?

What would you talk with them about?

For me this trip is an opportunity to test out those questions.

When I was ten years old, I made a list of my heroes. Outside of my parents and my brother, the list was filled with professional athletes. I wanted to play in the National Hockey League, and I automatically idolized anyone who had come even somewhat close to achieving that dream.

Over the last few years, my list of heroes has changed. Instead of some innate athletic ability, I’ve grown to respect people who are truly comfortable with who they are and what they’re doing. I admire people who are working to define success on their own terms rather than conforming to society’s standard metrics. Within that group, I’m most attracted to people who are doing meaningful work while achieving a balance with other aspects of their lives.

I now have the opportunity to talk with these types of people. It’s a cop out answer to the first question, but if I could talk with anyone in the world, I would talk to anyone who fits the description above or is working to get there. I don’t know where exactly I’ll find them or what exact work they’ll be doing, but I’m excited for the search.

Here are some of the questions I’m most interested in asking:

How do different people define success both in their careers and more holistically?

How do people who are having large impacts in their fields get started? What level of risk taking is involved?

What role does money have as a motivator?

How do people learn about less traditional paths?

How do people who have constantly been told that they can do anything, decide to do something? How do those people deal with failure or false starts?

How are people able to transfer interests – whether academic or social – into real-world employment?